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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stock — shares
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chair — a leader
  9. kick — in football
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ball — a great time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stock — goods
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com